Courtney Gordon Arrested; 4 People Fatally Stabbed, 2 Officers Injured In NYC Knife attack
A suspect went on a “rampage,” setting fire to the couch and slashing two police officers with a kitchen knife before being shot and killed. At least four people were killed, including two children ages 11 and 12.
The New York Police Department reported a stabbing spree in Far Rockaway, Queens, early Sunday. Authorities claimed the alleged culprit, who they saw taking baggage from the property, attacked two veterans of the force who responded to a commotion in the driveway.
The NYPD’s preliminary inquiry found that one officer was slashed in the face and the other in the head before opening fire on the suspect, killing him.
“This shows that police officers never know what they’re responding to, what’s waiting for them on that scene,” NYCPBA president Patrick Henry said Sunday at a news conference. “This scene was chaos, multiple victims, a house on fire, and a madman on a rampage, on a mission.”
NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny identified the suspect as 38-year-old Courtney Gordon, who had been arrested for strangulation domestic assault in the Bronx.
New York City police investigate a Dec. 3, 2023, knife assault at a Queens residence that killed four people, critically injured a 13-year-old child, and injured two police officers.
A teenage woman called 911 after 5 a.m. on Sunday to report “her cousin is killing her family members,” according to NYPD Chief of Department Jeff Maddrey.
Maddrey said two patrol cops, one a 28-year NYPD veteran and the other a 16-year veteran, were the first to arrive on Beach 22nd Street and noticed a man in the driveway with baggage.
When the officers questioned Gordon, the accused suspect nodded and attacked them with a “typical kitchen knife.”
maddrey stated one officer was slashed in the neck and chest and the other in the skull. Despite being wounded, the 28-year department veteran drew his firearm and shot the culprit, halting the attack, Maddrey said.
Maddrey said the two unnamed policemen were hospitalized at Jamaica Hospital in Queens for non-life-threatening injuries.
Other cops found an 11-year-old girl stabbed outside the home’s front door, according to the chief. Maddrey claimed the girl died in the hospital. He said a living room fire prevented officers from entering the house.
“It seems that he [the suspect] lit the couch at the front of the location on fire as he was leaving,” said Maddrey.
New York City police investigate a Dec. 3, 2023, knife assault at a Queens residence that killed four people, critically injured a 13-year-old child, and injured two police officers.
The New York City Fire Department doused the fire, officials said. Maddrey said officers found three people dead stabbed in two back bedrooms, including a 12-year-old boy. Maddrey also found a 61-year-old lady stabbed inside the house and brought to Mount Sinai Hospital in Queens in critical condition.
Maddrey said a 44-year-old lady and a 30-year-old guy were also slain.
New York City police investigate a Dec. 3, 2023, knife assault at a Queens residence that killed four people, critically injured a 13-year-old child, and injured two police officers.
The victims’ names were withheld by authorities pending notification of their families. Maddrey said investigators think Gordon and the victims are related.
Maddrey said Gordon was visiting relatives in Queens from the Bronx when the rampage began. A motive for the attack is being investigated
The police union head, Henry, lauded the injured officers, saying the veteran officer who fatally shot the perpetrator displayed “unbelievable skill” in neutralizing the threat.
